Prince in a Glass House
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After Ywach's fall, the Soul King chooses Byakuya and Ichigo to renew his life form. With Ichigo unconscious, Byakuya alone knows they have begun the rebirth ritual. What will happen when the Shiba heir awakens? Yaoi, mpreg...Ichigo/Bya, Sub pairings Aizen/Tetsuya, Grimmjow/Renji
1. Prince Placed in Glass

**Prince in a Glass House**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Although Ywach's reiatsu has disappeared completely, no one in Soul Society knows his fate...only Shiba Ichigo, who is found unconscious and unable to be awakened. To ensure that his power is carried on, the soul king chooses Byakuya and Ichigo to renew his life force through a secret rebirth. But the only one to remember it is Byakuya, whom the king warns to guard the secret carefully.**

**And what will happen when Shiba Ichigo unexpectedly awakens?**

**Main pairing is Ichigo/Byakuya with Aizen/Tetsuya and Grimmjow/Renji sub-pairings. This story contains yaoi and mpreg, so if you don't like, please don't read.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Prince Placed in Glass**

"I think he's coming around," a gruff male voice rumbled softly, setting off a powerful ache in Renji's head as the injured shinigami shifted and groaned.

"Please hold still, Renji-san," Tetsuya's familiar voice intoned, "I am not finished healing you."

"Do any of you sense anything?" Rukia panted, looking around at the tumbled debris surrounding what had once been the gateway to the soul king's palace, "The last thing I sensed was when Ywach's reiatsu exploded, then disappeared."

"I think that's pretty much the last thing all of us sensed," Grimmjow agreed, brushing the ragged strands of blue hair away from his sweating face with dirty, bruised fingers, "That shockwave knocked us all ass over teakettle. We're lucky to still be breathing."

"Well, since we are, we should try to enter the palace and find out what happened," Rukia suggested, "Tetsuya-san, you and Grimmjow are best able to fight if there is trouble. Let me manage Renji's healing and you two can go on."

"I find it troubling that there has been no movement, no change in the reiatsu up there since Ywach's power disappeared," Tetsuya mused, looking warily up at the cocoon shaped palace that hovered silently in the air above them, "And I can't sense Byakuya-sama's reiatsu...nor Aizen's nor Ichigo-san's. But I agree. I will go with Grimmjow to search the palace."

"Be careful," Rukia warned them.

"Like being careful's gonna do us any damned good at this point," Grimmjow muttered, following as Tetsuya rose and headed towards a tall, black, battered looking winged stallion that waited a short distance away, "The only one of us who had a chance of stopping that son of a bitch was Ichigo. If he didn't do it, we may as well kiss our asses goodbye. You know what I mean?"

"Well, I think that if Ywach had triumphed, he would have done something by now, so he was probably defeated and may even be dead. The only way to know is to approach."

"Well, keep your pretty horse and your bankai close. I don't trust this situation at all," Grimmjow snarled softly.

"Neither do I," Tetsuya agreed, offering a hand to the Espada and helping him onto the winged horse's back.

The blue-eyed noble touched his heels to the stallion's sides and the horse broke into a slightly limping run.

"You sure this guy's okay to fly?" Grimmjow asked, scowling, "He looks a little punch drunk."

Arashi snorted derisively.

"He is not badly damaged," Tetsuya reported, looking amused, "It looks worse than it is."

"Yeah, I hope so," the hollow replied skeptically, "I'd hate to have survived that living hell we did just to die in a stupid collision with the ground."

"Hang on," Tetsuya warned him, smirking slightly, "We won't crash, but he may throw you off if you offend him much more."

"Not like I can help it," Grimmjow complained, "I'm a fucking hollow. Hollows are offensive. What do you want?"

He made a sound of annoyance and tightened his arms around the shinigami's slender waist as the stallion jolted them soundly, while launching his equine body into the sky.

"Take it easy, will you?" Grimmjow complained.

Arashi banked sharply, then leveled out and turned towards the palace, angling his wings to use the mix of air currents and reiatsu to rise upward and move forward. His two riders watched warily as they approached the silent structure, noting uneasily the absence of any kind of movement and a single flicker of notable reiatsu.

"This doesn't look good," Grimmjow observed, frowning.

Tetsuya remained silent, his sapphire eyes scanning the outside of the palace carefully and his mind exchanging thoughts with the stallion's.

_I don't see or sense anything. Do you?_

_No Master,_ the stallion replied, _Everything is quiet. I see a place where we can land._

The stallion banked more gently, then changed the angle of his wings, sending them towards one of the larger arched openings in the middle of the palace.

_Keep your reiatsu thickened, _Tetsuya warned him, _Even if there are no fighters, we may encounter some remaining defense mechanisms or traps._

_Yes, Master._

But nothing moved, neither as they approached, nor as the stallion swept in for a landing under the darkened arch and the two men on his back observed the shattered entry in front of them. Tetsuya slid down from the horse's back, offering a bracing hand to Grimmjow as he dismounted.

"Touei, Re-kuhime," the noble breathed, sending his zanpakutou into shikai and making their bodies lose their color and solidity to take on the less visible aspect of waterforms.

The three stepped forward cautiously, their minds stricken instantly at the scorch marks all around, the tumbled mounds of furnishings and debris that littered the hallway, and the haunting feeling of being alone amidst a host of newly made ghosts. Their feelings darkened even more as they began to spot scattered bodies, many of them also badly burnt.

"It must have been awful," Tetsuya breathed softly.

"And I thought we had it bad," Grimmjow added, noting the look of torment on the faces of a number of the corpses, "I really hope that bastard died painfully."

He gave Tetsuya a rare look of sympathy.

"You didn't see your cousin here, did you?" he asked quietly.

"No. And I still do not sense him. But the throne room is still several levels up from here."

He went silent for a moment as they came across a dark skinned man wearing the livery of the royal guard. Tetsuya flash stepped forward and knelt at the man's side, examining him hastily.

"Is he still alive?" Grimmjow inquired, peering down at the fallen guardsman.

"Yes," Tetsuya answered, a hard edge to his voice, "It seems that, as was his way, the quincy king struck him without intent to kill."

"Huh?"

Tetsuya scowled.

"The powerful ones, he tended to keep, so that he could turn them and use them against their own people. He meant for the royal guard to serve him when he became king."

Grimmjow released a disgusted breath.

"Hell ain't deep enough, you know?"

"I agree," said the normally peace-loving shinigami, making a sad smirk rise on the Espada's handsome face.

"So, does one of us stay here with him while the other goes on?"

"He is unconscious," Tetsuya surmised, "but he is not in danger of dying. We should stay together."

They left the guardsman and moved further into the dark environs, only to stop again as they entered the next level of the palace and found a second royal guardsman, also collapsed and left unconscious. A quick examination revealed that he too, required no immediate intervention, so the three moved on. The next level was filled with more scorched bodies and the female guard they found was nearly expired.

"Can you heal her?" Grimmjow asked, a cold shiver going through him at the heavy damage on the woman's slender body.

"I can stop her from dying," Tetsuya answered, sliding his weapon from its sheath, then sinking it into the guard's abdomen.

"Whoa!" Grimmjow objected, starting towards him, "That's...!"

"Touketsu Shima," Tetsuya commanded his blade.

Grimmjow went still and silent, watching as the woman's body slowly froze from the inside out.

"I didn't hurt her," the noble assured the surprised hollow, "Although Touketsu Shima can be used to shatter a body, it can also place one in suspension for later healing."

"J-just if I'm that close to dying, just let me die okay?" Grimmjow said uneasily, "That shit is just creepy!"

"Sorry," Tetsuya apologized, "I didn't know how else to save her."

"Whatever, we should go."

"Yes."

Tetsuya and Arashi started down the hallway, leaving Grimmjow a little behind and looking down at the guardswoman's frozen body.

"We're really fucked good if that guy's not dead," he whispered, shaking his head unhappily, then turning to rejoin his companions.

XXXXXXXXXX

_"You're gonna be okay," Ichigo said calmly, his brown eyes meeting Byakuya's darker and more tormented ones bracingly, "Just stay here and I'll take care of him."_

_"I am sorry," the noble managed in a rough, pained whisper, "I held him off long enough for the king to enter the prism, but he just cut me down and took it. If he manages to..."_

_"He won't. I won't let that happen," Ichigo promised, taking Byakuya's bloodied hand in his and meeting the noble's eyes sternly, "I'm going to destroy him. You have my word."_

_"You don't have to waste your words on promises to me," Byakuya chided him, wincing as flickers of pain stabbed at him from all directions, "Even if I draw my last breath before the end, I already know. I trust you, Ichigo."_

_A tortured look flashed across Ichigo's battered face, but he swiftly forced it down and managed a shaky smile._

_"That's right. From the minute I saved Rukia, you've always believed in me."_

_"And never once have you failed us. Don't worry about me. I will wait here for you. Go on. Please, protect our loved ones."_

Byakuya felt the echoing voices in his weary mind fade and hard throbs and stings of pain began to return. For a time, he couldn't move, not even to open his eyes. He could feel the weight of some kind of debris holding him down, but understood that he couldn't have moved even if not for that.

_My low reiatsu from the fighting left me too weak to even bear the weight of the thick reiatsu, here in the palace. I will need some time for my spirit centers to recover from the shock and begin carrying power through my body again._

It seemed unbearable to lie so helpless, listening to the deep silence around him and wondering what had happened within the throne room.

_Ichigo must have triumphed. He wouldn't have let Ywach win. But he is likely injured, or he would have come back for me. And if he is injured, I must reach him and help him. He would never fail me, so I must not fail him either._

He steeled himself and forced an eye open, catching his breath painfully as he struggled to focus. Blinking several times, he managed to make out the tumble of wood and stone debris that pinned his lower body and right side. Then, he lifted his shaky left arm and began removing small pieces. Gradually, as he worked, his strength returned in stages, allowing him to slowly wriggle free of the mess. He tried to sit up, but couldn't, so instead struggled onto hands and knees and angled his quivering body towards the broken doors that led into the throne room.

Thin lines of mingled blood and sweat leaked down his face and arms, and he panted heavily as he dragged himself forward. Each move he made up the three marble steps preceding the entry made his insides clench as crippling pain worked steadily to try to bring him down short of his goal. But although he slowed even more, he continued to close the distance between himself and his missing friend. The blurry sight of what looked to be a shock of ginger hair sent a jolt of renewed energy through the noble's strained body and he forced down a snarl of agony and made himself move faster. A few moments later, all awareness of his own body left as he recognized what could only be Ichigo's collapsed form.

"Ichigo!" he gasped, scrambling forward and dragging the unconscious shinigami substitute into his arms, "Ichigo, wake up!"

He patted the young man's filthy face gently and rubbed his wrists vigorously, swallowing hard and feeling his heart quicken painfully as he received no response.

_He is still breathing! _

_He is still alive!_

_Ichigo!_

As several minutes passed and Ichigo remained still, Byakuya's eyes left him for a moment to scan the destroyed throne room. The king and queen's thrones had both been blown off their raised platform and laid in pieces on the scorched and broken marble floor. But strangely, though he expected there might be more bodies, he could see none anywhere. There was no sign of the quincy king either.

_What happened in here? _Byakuya wondered darkly, _I wonder if he..._

The noble's hands carefully searched Ichigo's tattered clothing, and he made a soft sound of approval as his fingertips found the hard, faceted surface of the king's prism. He removed it carefully and gazed down at it, squinting to be sure that it hadn't suffered any damage.

_It looks untouched, despite the devastating powers that clashed around it. I know the king was able to join with it, but I hope Ywach was unable to do anything troubling to the ones within._

He stiffened for a moment as the ancient artifact flickered briefly and he heard the late king's voice speak into his mind.

_I was able to join with my predecessors. Thank you, Byakuya, for defending me while I passed over. It grieves me, but I must now pass on to you and to this man the sacred task of bringing about my new incarnation. As my last defenders, you have proven yourselves strong enough to contain and grow my new body within you._

"I cannot even walk right now," Byakuya confessed, a guilty expression on his lovely face, "I am not worthy for such a task."

_There are none but the two of you to whom I will entrust my fate and the fate of the three worlds._

"But Ichigo is unresponsive. Will he wake?" Byakuya asked urgently.

_I do not know. But the power of the prism will come over him and bring about the necessary mating. You must do this now, before my absence is discovered, and you must not confide in anyone that the rebirth is happening now. They will be waiting for two to be identified and brought to the palace. To ensure the safety of the new king, you must keep all of this to yourself and the very few you trust most. If an enemy learns you are bearing the king's new incarnation, he will undoubtedly try to kill you._

"I understand. But...can you tell me what happened to Ywach? Ichigo defeated him, did he not?"

_He did. Unfortunately, Ywach simply disappeared and I could not sense any direction. I and my brethren believe him to have expired, but we cannot be completely sure. Still, the rebirth must take precedence. Place the prism in Ichigo's hands and I will guide him._

Byakuya shivered at the thought of what was about to happen, but obeyed readily. He opened the shinigami substitute's curled fingers, then slipped the glittering artifact between them. He swallowed hard and placed his hands on the prism, willing the spirits within to act.

For several long moments, the room was quiet and the prism only continued to flicker softly. Then, the flickers gave way to a stronger, white glow that gradually turned golden and began to penetrate the injured men's beaten bodies. Byakuya felt his mind grow unnaturally dim and calm. And even as panic flooded his heart, his body refused to react, only responding to the dictates of the former kings. A shudder passed through him as Ichigo's brown eyes opened suddenly, but flooded with golden light and blank from his lack of consciousness, they held no sign of warmth or recognition. The noble tried to brace himself for what was coming, but found his body moving without connection to his will. He couldn't even close his eyes as Ichigo's possessed hands deprived him swiftly of his torn uniform, then pushed him firmly down onto his back and began to prepare him for their joining.

_This is necessary,_ he reminded himself, trying to ignore the horrified feeling that flooded his body as the mentally absent Shiba heir parted the Kuchiki heir's thighs and without any sign of emotion, began to enter him. Byakuya's awareness mercifully faded slightly as the other man began to move, and he resigned himself to looking up at his friend and simply accepting what he must.

_If this was really him, he would never be so cold. Ichigo's eyes are always warm and alive, not icy and emotionless like this. His hands are comforting when they touch me. They don't make me feel like cringing. If Ichigo loved me and we were making a child, it would be completely different. This is only a trust placed with us by the king. I just have to avoid thinking in unhealthy ways about what is happening._

But if it was difficult to accept the other man being inside him, it grew almost unbearable as the possessed man's hands clenched him more tightly and his movements became less restrained. Byakuya would have stiffened, but still lacked any means to do so as Ichigo moved almost violently on top of him, then suddenly stiffened and began his release.

Intense, stinging heat flooded the Kuchiki heir's immobilized body and he loosed a groan of discomfort as the prism's control over them began to fade. He laid still after, as flashes of pain returned and his mind froze for a moment as it struck him in full what had happened. He looked back at Ichigo, feeling a shaft of loneliness that the Shiba heir was still unconscious. But the feeling didn't last long as he pulled free and set the remains of their wrecked clothing in place, then felt intense weariness sweep over him and leave him in a useless heap at Ichigo's side. The room went silent and dark, and the prism that had glowed so brightly, faded and sank into Byakuya's body, there to be concealed for the duration of the gestation.

_I am very grateful to the two of you, _the king's voice whispered into Byakuya's drifting mind, _And I am sorry to have caused you pain. I assure you if it was safe, I would have done this differently. The situation was desperate. It is still desperate. When you wake, remember that the greatest threat to you will be in confiding. _

_Be careful who you trust!_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Who is that?" Grimmjow panted uncomfortably, crawling through the pile of debris and peering at the male body that Tetsuya had found entrapped in the wreckage of a partially collapsed hallway, "We already found the rest of the royal guards."

Tetsuya leaned over the half-turned body, frowning as he located signs of remaining life and began to free the man and turn him over. Behind him, Grimmjow raised a small cero powered light, angling it to illuminate the trapped man's dust covered face as Tetsuya unearthed him. A jolt made his insides clutch as he recognized immediately the wickedly handsome, smirking face, the dangerous brown eyes and slender form of Aizen Sousuke.

"Whoa! Tetsuya, get away from him!" the hollow shouted, raising his hands and stepping back in preparation to fire a cero, "It's Aizen!"

"I'm not a threat to you," the former taichou informed them, "I was working with the invading forces from the Seireitei. You need only ask Kyouraku Shunsui."

"He's out cold," Grimmjow snarled, "So're most of the ones in charge, so don't think we're going to take your word for it!"

"Grimmjow is right," Tetsuya said solemnly, "You will need to accept being restrained until your status is determined."

Aizen gave him a look that brought an instant blush to Tetsuya's pale face.

"I don't mind at all if you tie me up," he said seductively, "Go ahead, Kuchiki Tetsuya."

"I wasn't aware you knew me," Tetsuya commented quietly, "We were never introduced."

"No," Aizen agreed, "but I was aware of you, even though you were nearly invisible. You were always near Byakuya, which placed you on my radar early on."

"What happened here?" Grimmjow demanded as Tetsuya invoked a kido spell and bound Aizen's hands in front of him, "Not that we can believe half of what you say, but..."

"I completed the task Kyouraku soutaichou assigned to me," Aizen said simply, "I am afraid that the nature of that task is confidential."

Tetsuya's hands froze and trembled slightly as he realized suddenly that the former taichou's top had fallen partway open and his chest had been revealed.

"The hougyoku!" he exclaimed, "It's gone! What happened to it?"

Aizen only looked back at them silently.

"Whatever," the hollow snapped irascibly, "We don't have time for this shit. Where are Kuchiki Byakuya and Ichigo?"

"They left with the king while I protected the doorway," Aizen explained, "I killed the last of the quincies before Ywach collapsed the hallway and attacked me, leaving me trapped while he continued on."

"Too bad he didn't kill you," Grimmjow hissed angrily.

"He wanted to save the strong ones to serve him," Aizen responded, confirming their worst suspicions, "I assume he didn't kill the royal guards?"

"No," Tetsuya reported, "They were badly injured and unconscious, but they will live. Still, we need to locate my cousin, Shiba Ichigo and the king."

"They will be in the throne room," Aizen said with certainty, "And the fact that Ywach has not made a move suggests that Ichigo was able to triumph over him. I do not know what state they will all be in. They may have destroyed each other."

"The king?" Tetsuya said breathlessly.

"They had a plan. I can say no more," Aizen insisted, falling silent again and refusing to explain further.

"We don't dare to leave him," Tetsuya said, stepping away from the bound shinigami, "If he escapes, we'll never find him again."

"I'll watch him," Grimmjow offered, "The entry to the throne room is just ahead. Go on and find them."

Tetsuya shook his head firmly.

"Arashi will stand guard here. You and I may proceed."

A slow smile crept over Aizen's face as the tall black stallion emerged from his waterform and stood over him, glowering down at him warningly.

"It's been a while," the former taichou said warmly, "How are you Arashi?"

The stallion snorted and stamped a delicate foot, making the bound shinigami laugh softly.

"Don't worry. I have no reason to resist. You will see when we return that I have been promised a full pardon for parting with the hougyoku and defending the king."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Grimmjow grumbled, joining Tetsuya as the noble moved forward and began digging his way through the mess in front of them, "Damn, it's going to take forever to get through this mess. Get outta the way, okay?"

"What are you...?" Tetsuya began, then he sucked in a surprised breath and flash stepped out of harm's way as the hollow blasted the way clear in front of them, "You could have killed us, you fool!"

"After what we've been through, you're worried about getting crushed under some cement?" Grimmjow teased him, "Give me something real to be scared of..."

"Be careful what you ask for," Aizen warned him, watching calmly as the two made their way into the throne room's entry.


	2. Solitude

**Chapter 2: Solitude**

**(Thanks so much to everyone reading along and reviewing! My gratitude to Winterheart2000 (No need to wait. Here you go!), Picklez80 (I don't know why, but I am really into Ichigo/Bya right now. The two go really well together!), Willow (So glad you like it!), Emmagem803 (So glad you're enjoying it!), IrritatedBookworm (I am crazy, writing so many stories at once, but you can't blame me when the plot bunnies seem to pop up everywhere and some of them are such compelling little things. I have to go back and dig up that challenge. I don't have huge amounts of time while working so darned much, but I'll see what I can do!), Caitriona695 (Ah, good catch. I will explain in the story as Aizen gets closer to Tetsuya and begins to take an interest in his abilities.), dramamelon (So glad you are along for the read! I really like Grimm/Renji which I discovered kind of by mistake while working on On Top. Hadn't intended it, but got grabbed by their heated exchanges and undeniable chemistry!), lavi-lover (I feel like this one's going in a great direction. Have to ramp up slowly, but it's going great so far!), Haikha (One of the things I love to do is to take a bare bones plot and play different characters in it. Each time, rather than just being a cookie cutter storyline, I try to grab the essence of the characters and let them run the direction of things, giving each incarnation of the plot a different flavor. Uh-oh...now, I'm hungry. Of to eat breakfast and trudge to work. I am such a darned slave!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

Byakuya felt cool, familiar hands touch his face and recognized at once his cousin's worried voice.

"Byakuya-sama!" Tetsuya called urgently, sending an infusion of healing reiatsu into the barely conscious clan leader's bruised and bloodied form, "Watashi no itoko, I'm here!"

"T-tetsuya?" Byakuya managed softly, his glazed eyes blinking and trying to focus.

"Byakuya-sama, what happened to the king? Where is Ywach? Byakuya-sama!"

"I...I don't know," the Kuchiki heir panted weakly, "I w-wasn't here when Ichigo...d-defeated him. Tetsuya, is...is Ichigo...alive?"

"He's gonna be okay, I think," Grimmjow said, studying the Shiba heir closely and patting his face roughly, "But he's out like a light. Don't know how long he'll be unconscious. Lucky bastard..."

"We need to get them out of here," Tetsuya concluded, looking around questioningly.

"What's wrong?" Grimmjow asked, following the path of his gaze.

"The king's prism," Tetsuya said worriedly, "It isn't on its pedestal."

"The king's prism?" the hollow queried, frowning.

"It is an ancient crystal prism that houses the souls of the soul kings and consorts of the past. Their power is given into the body of the new king each time one is born and the voices of the old kings guide each monarch in his adherence to duty. That both the king and the prism are gone and that Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-san cannot tell us what happened does not bode well for us."

"One problem at a time," Grimmjow sighed.

"I don't think you understand," Tetsuya insisted, "The prism and the king are crucial to the keeping of the balance between our worlds! Should they fall out of balance, our worlds would be destroyed! We must locate the prism."

"We've come to help with that," Urahara Kisuke's voice said from the doorway.

The two rescuers looked up as Kisuke entered the chamber with a recovered Shunsui, as well as Ukitake, Yoruichi and several of the remaining fukutaichous as well.

"We'll take over the investigation here," Shunsui said, nodding, "I want you two to evacuate Ichigo, Byakuya and Aizen to Kuchiki Manor at once for treatment."

"But...to Kuchiki Manor?" Tetsuya objected, "What about...?"

"Kuchiki Manor is the only reinforced and habitable place left standing. We're running the military from one wing and have made an infirmary of another. You'll need to make sure Aizen is protected. Not everyone knows yet that he was working for us."

"So that story he fed us was true?" Grimmjow mused, scowling, "Does that mean you're letting the bastard go?"

"Well, it was that or let the three worlds be dragged down and have him not care enough to assist us," Ukitake explained, "His sacrifice of the hougyoku helped to power Ichigo for the battle and protected the king."

"But we don't even know if the king _was_ protected," Tetsuya reasoned, "Neither Byakuya-sama nor Ichigo-san can tell us what happened!"

"We can't worry about that right now," Kisuke said grimly, "We have to focus our efforts on maintaining the balance between our worlds. With the prism and the king missing, we can't be sure just what will happen. We'll be focusing on that and healing the royal guards while you and Grimmjow join Rukia and Renji and take these three back to the Seireitei for treatment."

"We will do that, of course," Tetsuya agreed, "I hope that you are able to locate the king and the prism quickly."

"Yeah, well, we'd better," Shunsui sighed worriedly, "Our worlds hang on us doing that."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya breathed in and loosed short panting breaths as his eyes opened again and tried to focus on his surroundings. He registered a feeling of motion and glimpses of dark, feathery wings.

"Ah...A-arashi?" he moaned incoherently.

He faded out again quickly and remained locked in blackness and quiet for a time, barely registering his cousin's close presence. As he rested, his mind grappled with what had happened before, spawning horridly vivid nightmares that saw him returned to the battle within the king's palace. But worse than any of the things that the quincy king wrought upon him was the frightening presence of the blank-eyed Shiba heir, who pursued him endlessly through the dark, debris-strewn hallways, cornering him repeatedly and touching him invasively with unfeeling, icy hands and even colder reiatsu. But amidst the worst of the nightmares, his cousin's quiet, persistent voice reached through, carefully anchoring him and bringing him slowly back to the surface.

"I am still with you, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, squeezing his hand supportively, "Kotetsu fukutaichou is trying to examine you. You must hold still."

Tetsuya's gentle fingers touched his face and hair lightly, calming him and slowing his breathing somewhat.

"Wh-where am I?" the clan leader pleaded dizzily.

"We have returned home," Tetsuya said reassuringly, "Kyouraku soutaichou ordered us to take you home for treatment."

"Ichigo?"

"He is in the attendant's recess across the room. He is here and he is all right except for that we cannot wake him."

Tetsuya's eyes darkened with emotion as he continued.

"I am sure he will be fine, Byakuya-sama. Rest now. You need to let your body recover."

Byakuya nodded wearily, turning himself over to his cousin's care and letting everything fade away again. But even in the depths of sleep, he felt the constant burning heat of the creative reiatsu that Ichigo's body had rendered and sent into his. It throbbed and ached painfully in his core, never letting him forget for a moment the dire mission the king had placed on his shoulders.

_I don't know anything about the rebirthing process, but it seems to be using the breeder ability I possess. It's been so long since Tetsuya arrived at Kuchiki Manor and we learned that the ones who ran the prison were secretly trying to annihilate the ones of us who harbor that ability. I never even thought of using it myself. And now this ability is allowing me to act as vessel for the growing king's reiatsu._

The thought of that new and precious life he held within him, brought some warmth back into his body and calmed him as his insides twisted, ached and stung painfully. The pain might be uncomfortable, he decided, but it was necessary and it was only a reminder of the importance of his task. For within him, he held the hope of the three worlds, a gift that was his to protect for the duration.

Still, it felt wrong somehow to carry the weight of that task alone.

As his mind spun just beneath consciousness, Byakuya returned to the cold confines of the destroyed throne room, where he again saw the empty-eyed Shiba heir rise up over him, holding him with icy, unfeeling hands and partaking of an act that should have felt much warmer, more peaceful and should have been undertaken with love.

_I understand the king's need. The situation was desperate and I did agree to this. I just need to be calm and accepting. I need to..._

Byakuya rose out of sleep suddenly, sucking in a deeper breath and opening his eyes to find that his nightmares had, indeed, come to life. For although he laid in his own soft bed and he knew that his attendant must be just outside his door, fierce golden light swelled all around him and a tall, ginger haired man looked down from where he crouched atop him.

"Ichigo?" he queried, reaching up to touch the Shiba heir's frowning lips.

It wasn't just the lack of any coherent response that chilled him inside, but the way those strange, powerlit eyes seemed to bore down into his, forcibly holding him in place while Ichigo's senseless hands bared him and hastily prepared him. Byakuya felt the dread urgency in the other man's hands and forced himself to lay quietly as the possessed Shiba heir positioned himself, then joined their bodies roughly. As before, there was a restlessness in his movements, a need for haste that suggested that the processing of the king's reiatsu was a torment to Ichigo. And at the thought of Ichigo being in pain, Byakuya felt his heart catch. Despite the feeling of sickness that came with looking into his friend's unseeing eyes, he made himself look. He reached up with gentle hands and caressed the Shiba heir's face lightly as Ichigo's hard, quaking thrusts began, and this time he moved with him instead of just lying still. The effect was nearly intoxicating as the discomfort of being taken and possessed gave way to a feeling of connection to that other person's body and to a mounting pleasure that made the aches and stings leave his awareness and left him bathed in wanton fits of increasing arousal. A haziness overtook his mind then and he let his awareness fade, simply allowing his body to see to the task while he meandered inwardly. He surfaced again as he felt Ichigo's breath catch harshly and his body seize. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes against the scathing heat that burned him inside as the Shiba heir released into him. Byakuya tried to maintain cognizance, at least to see if Ichigo would be all right after attempting such an endeavor while still healing. But the weight of their joining seemed to overtake him all at once, and he sank back into unconsciousness and blissful unawareness as Ichigo rose mechanically and returned on unsteady legs to the bed in the attendant's recess.

Byakuya's sleepy-eyed attendant appeared moments later, frowning and yawning as he looked in on his two charges and found them resting comfortably. He shook his head and closed the door to the room, then stumbled back to his own quarters and fell quickly back asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow felt a weary smirk overtake his features as the red-haired shinigami he leaned over, healing, groaned unhappily and cracked open one fierce, cinnamon-colored eye to observe him.

"Nice to see you finally wake up, Red," the hollow chuckled, giving him a toothy smile, "It's about time for you to get your lazy ass outta that bed and start helping out around here."

"Fuck you," Renji groaned, starting to roll over and sit up, then loosing a gasp of mingled surprise and agony, and collapsing again.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Grimmjow chided him, "That'll teach you to try to get up too fast. Lie still, moron. You've just been put back together."

"What the hell are _you_ doing here," the redhead complained, "Where _are _we anyway?"

"Why don't you shut up and look around you, stupid," the Espada snapped, scowling.

"Ugh," Renji panted, squinting and moving his head slightly to examine his surroundings, "Is this...Kuchiki Manor?"

"Very good," Grimmjow said with an edge of joking sarcasm, "I guess a few brain cells managed to survive when you got your ass toasted up there."

"Screw you!" Renji snarled unhappily, "I don't figure you did much better."

"Hey, I'm sitting up on my own at least and healing you. You're pathetic. You should be embarrassed lying around like that while everyone else around here is working."

"You know what? You're an awful healer," the redhead complained, "Just get the hell outta here. I don't need your help. I'd rather just hurt!"

"Be quiet, will you?" Grimmjow rebuked him, extending his hands over the injured shinigami and infusing his body with healing reiatsu, "There are a lot of hurt people in the rooms around yours."

Renji took a breath and loosed it again, the weight of the situation returning as he remembered the sorry state the Seireitei had been in upon their leaving.

"Is Taichou okay?" he asked more solemnly.

"Yeah, he goes in and out of consciousness, but he's getting better."

Renji swallowed hard.

"How about Rukia?"

"She's fine."

"And...Ichigo?" the redhead inquired hesitantly.

Grimmjow paused and met his eyes squarely.

"He got fucked up pretty bad. Reiatsu's in the basement and he's still out cold. But don't worry about it. He'll come out of it."

Renji held his breath for a moment, the weight of the words settling over him and leaving him feeling drained again.

"Right," he sighed, settling back against the pillows and closing his eyes, "Ichigo always gets the shit kicked out of him, then he's fine. You're right. He'll be okay."

"I didn't know you liked him that much," Grimmjow teased, smirking, "You two dating?"

"Fuck no! Not that it's any of your business. Leave me alone okay? I'm trying to heal here!"

"Hey, don't get your panties in a twist. I was kidding. Just trying to lighten the mood."

Renji went quiet, watching with tired eyes as Grimmjow's hands moved over his recovering body.

"Thanks, Grimmjow," he said finally, "for the healing."

"Not for the humor?"

"What humor?" the redhead quipped.

"You know, screw you. You can just hurt if you're gonna piss me off!" the hollow snapped.

"I was just kidding," Renji chuckled, grabbing at his ribs as they twinged painfully, "You were teasing me. What, you can dish it out but you can't take it?"

"Just shut up and heal already!" Grimmjow groaned in an annoyed tone, "You're a pain in the ass, Red."

"Stop calling me that, fool. It's Renji."

"Not to me, it's not," Grimmjow said, smirking, "I carry your ass back home and heal it, I get to call you what I want."

"Whatever," the redhead yawned, turning away and curling into a ball, "Just be quiet. I'm trying to sleep."

"Sounds like a good idea," the Espada said, leaning forward and crawling onto the bed.

"Hey!" Renji objected, "What are you doing? Get out!"

"Shut up, will you?" Grimmjow snapped, scowling, "The rooms are all taken and there aren't enough beds. I've been up all night healing your sorry ass. The least you could do is make room for me."

"Grrr! Fine," the redhead sighed, turning away again, "Just stay over there and don't touch me."

"Kinda hard to heal you without any touching," Grimmjow said, smirking.

"You know what I mean."

"Man, you're in a crappy mood," the hollow yawned, curling around a pillow and closing his eyes, "You get your period?"

"You know what? I changed my mind. Get the fuck out of here!" Renji snapped furiously, turning over too fast, then catching his breath and groaning and wincing.

"Take it easy, Red," Grimmjow said, sitting up and sliding an arm around him, then easing him back down onto his back, "You got the hell beat out of you. Save the flirting for later when you feel better."

"Like I'd flirt with you," Renji huffed, pulling free of the hollow and curling around the pillows again.

Grimmjow laid back on his own pillow, observing out of the corner of one blue eye as Renji drifted off to sleep again.

"You're pretty cute, Red," he yawned sleepily, "Sweet dreams."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ah," Aizen Sousuke sighed, smiling as the outline of a slender male body appeared in his doorway, "You came back, Kuchiki Tetsuya. You know, if you keep coming to visit me like this, I might become attached."

He smirked and wiggled one hand that had been kido-chained to his bed.

"Oh, but it seems I am already attached, ne?"

Tetsuya moved wordlessly to the other man's bedside and sat down in the chair alongside it, seemingly oblivious as he extended his hands over Aizen's restrained body and began a healing infusion.

"Can you tell me," Aizen said more seriously, "when I am to be released? I _was _promised release in return for my cooperation."

"Kyouraku soutaichou will attend to that upon his return from the royal realm," Tetsuya said shortly, "In the meantime, until he arrives, you will have to remain in bindings."

"I don't know why," Aizen mused, an edge of weariness entering his voice, "What is left for me to ruin? The Seireitei has mostly been obliterated."

"Does that bother you?" Tetsuya asked quietly, "I am surprised you would give it a thought. Didn't you try to destroy it too?"

"No," Aizen corrected him, eyeing him meaningfully, "I only intended to destroy the Gotei 13. I had no intention to harm the civilian populace."

"Except for the hundred thousand or so innocent humans in Karakura Town you intended to sacrifice," Tetsuya reminded him dryly, avoiding the other man's eyes as he continued his healing.

"Touchè," Aizen replied, still gazing at the noble unabashedly, "But you do understand the need for sacrifices, don't you, Kuchiki Tetsuya? I am sure that someone like you does."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No?" Aizen queried, capturing Tetsuya's blue eyes again, "Kuchiki Tetsuya, a half-blood noble born of the noble Takao and the peasant woman, Kiko of West 52nd district, Rukongai. Your parents were captured and incarcerated in the illegal noble's prison, Itamigiri, where you were born and grew up before Byakuya learned of the prison and rescued you. I told you, Tetsuya. You were always close to Byakuya, so it made sense to become familiar with you."

"That isn't the same as knowing me," Tetsuya said, looking away, "The surface facts don't tell half the story. Someone like you should know that."

"Oh, but I do," Aizen said more softly, smiling at the slight flush that had risen on the young man's face and throat, "And until you rescued me from the wreckage of the palace, I indeed, had no idea of the treasure you are, Tetsuya. But I have learned a great deal just in the last few days."

"Have you? Am I supposed to be flattered at being noticed by you?" the noble asked, frowning, "As I'm sure Hinamori Momo knows, that is a sure way to get oneself killed."

"Perhaps," Aizen admitted calmly, "But as long as I see such potential in you, you are safe with me, Kuchiki Tetsuya."

Tetsuya shook his head and withdrew his hands, then stood and looked down at the restrained shinigami with regretful eyes.

"No one is ever safe anywhere near you," he commented softly.

"You are a wise young man, Tetsuya."

The warm smile remained on Aizen's lips long after the noble had turned away and disappeared out the door.

_And you are quite lovely._

_I look forward to getting to know you even better, Kuchiki Tetsuya._


	3. Suspicion

**Chapter 3: Suspicion**

"Kyouraku Shunsui," Ichibei's deep voice boomed as he gazed down from his position among the royal guards, a level above the king's advisors in the high king's council chambers, but set just beneath the king's empty seat, "What do you have to report?"

"First off, we're glad to see the five of you have recovered," Shunsui answered in a relieved tone, "And although I am troubled to admit that we have still found no sign of the king or the prism, Urahara Kisuke has confirmed that at present, the balance is still somehow being maintained."

He went silent and the five royal guards exchanged meaningful glances.

"Is it true that Kuchiki Byakuya and Shiba Ichigo were the last to have seen the king and the prism?" asked Senjumaru.

"To the best of our knowledge, yes," Shunsui replied, glancing at Kisuke.

"And how are the two of them recovering?" inquired Tenjirou, "Do you need to have them come back here for additional treatment?"

"Kuchiki taichou appears to be recovering slowly," Shunsui reported, "His reiatsu is stable, though Kotetsu Isane reports that even though his spirit centers are, in fact, improving, he seems unable as yet to flow any reiatsu through them. He is, in essence, powerless."

"And Ichigo?" asked Kirio, frowning, "How is he?"

"It's troubling," Shunsui confessed, glancing again at Kisuke, "Our healers have examined him thoroughly and his body seems to be healing just fine. But he is strangely unresponsive. We don't know at point he will wake, because we don't know why he is remaining unconscious."

"Should we bring him back up here and soak him in my hot springs for a while?" Tenjirou suggested.

"Kisuke already used the hot spring he made in the Seireitei, which although it is not as strong, still should have produced some sort of effect. But there has been no change in his level of consciousness. We tried having Inoue Orihime work on him too, but there wasn't anything specific for her to focus on to reject, so that didn't work either. He has had a few dangerous power spikes, so we have him encased in a protective chamber. We can observe him and take the readings we need to monitor him, and the chamber will maintain and protect him until he wakes."

"Have you interrogated Kuchiki Byakuya?" Senjumaru asked, "I understand he has been conscious."

"Yes," confirmed Shunsui, "Byakuya's awake and responding to our questions, but he claims he wasn't in the chamber when Ichigo confronted Ywach. His memory has been affected by his injuries, so he can't tell us anything about the king or the prism."

"Is he being evasive?" Senjumaru queried, her dark eyes glinting softly, "I could certainly see about probing his mind a bit more effectively."

"I'm not sure what more he would have to tell you. He appears to have been unconscious from the point that Ichigo entered the throne room."

"I see."

"I believe what my kickin' colleague is sayin' is that she doesn't buy that the Kuchiki boy is on the up and up, dig?" remarked Oetsu, shaking his head, "You need to make sure those two are watched."

"You are to inform us at once if you see anything suspicious in their behavior," Ichibei said sternly, "I am not saying that they are holding back, but if they aren't, they still might have been somehow affected by what happened to them in the throne room. Until we have more information, we have to consider all possibilities."

"You don't really suspect them of anything..." Shunsui mused unhappily.

"We suspect everyone until we can be sure of what happened," Senjumaru corrected him, "Ywach wasn't above using our own people against us, so we must be sure he wasn't using one or both of those men as some kind of 'parting gift' for us."

"Going on," said Ichibei, "What is Aizen Sousuke's status?"

"He is recovering just fine."

"You have not unbound him?" asked Senjumaru.

"No," Shunsui replied, frowning, "As you ordered, we have been delaying that. But you know we agreed to let him go..."

"If he surrendered the hougyoku and protected the king," Tenjirou finished, "While he may have given up the hougyoku, the king and prism are still missing. That guy needs to be kept in chains until we establish the king's fate."

"I don't think he's going to appreciate that, though I won't argue the necessity," Shunsui asserted, his frown deepening.

"I would certainly be willing to offer him a long nap in my palace," offered Senjumaru, "He would remain unconscious, safely bound and out of our hair until we decide what to do with him."

"I think if we want that leopard to show his spots, we can't take him outta the jungle just yet," Oetsu offered.

"I agree with Oetsu," Tenjirou said, nodding, "If Aizen did something to the king or if he has plans, watching him is probably the better idea. He doesn't have the hougyoku anymore."

"What if he has stolen and hidden the king's prism?" asked Senjumaru, "Are we to simply wait until he finds a way to tap into its power?"

"But if he has concealed it, watching him is the only way to get him to reveal its location," argued Kirio, "Also, I don't like the idea of having him here, where powers are increased from the thick reiatsu."

"Gotta agree with that," commented Oetsu.

"Kyouraku Shunsui," Ichibei said sternly, "You are hereby ordered to place Kuchiki Byakuya, Shiba Ichigo and Aizen Sousuke under close observation. As soon as proper facilities are completed, Aizen Sousuke is to be returned to Muken to wait until the king's status is confirmed. And when the new infirmary is finished, Shiba Ichigo is to be moved there for monitoring and treatment. One way or another, whichever of them might be harboring secrets regarding the king, we will find out what they are."

"Very well," Shunsui said solemnly, "I'll take care of it."

He turned and led Kisuke, Ukitake and Yoruichi out of the council chambers. They waited until they had passed by the attendants and builders, hard at work repairing the extensive damage to the rest of the palace to start speaking again.

"I don't like this," Kisuke commented, "I understand their concerns about Aizen, but you saw the damage Ichigo and Byakuya took. They didn't look like people who had just somehow imprisoned or killed the king."

"Even Aizen was incapacitated," Yoruichi pointed out, "And let's not forget the fact that if he was up to something, he could have pulled it off and escaped if he wasn't really as injured as he looked. Why would he fake injury and let himself be caught? It doesn't make sense."

"Well, what does?" inquired Ukitake, "While I don't like that they suspect Ichigo or Byakuya, I do understand that we're in a dangerous situation. While the balance hasn't yet shown signs of deterioration, if something _has _befallen the king, it won't be long before we begin to see the signs of an imbalance. And without access to the king or the prism, in the case of a need for a rebirth, we are, in effect, helpless to do anything."

"I guess we just have to accept their orders for now," concluded Shunsui unhappily, "Kisuke, can I count on you to help with the means for monitoring those three?"

"Sure," the shopkeeper agreed.

"There's just one thing," Yoruichi interjected, "Are we including Kuchiki Tetsuya in our plans?"

"Byakuya's cousin?" Ukitake mused, "Do you think that would be wise since Byakuya, himself, is under suspicion?"

"I think we have to work around him," Shunsui decided.

Yoruichi and Kisuke exchanged glances and looks of amusement.

"Good luck with that," giggled the Shihoin princess, moving to board the tenchurren.

"Now, why don't I like the sound of that?" commented Ukitake.

"Because instead of just trying to work around that guy and his horsey companion, I think you may have to put him into Muken next to Aizen if he gets wind you're suspecting his cousin," said Kisuke, "He doesn't have power on the level of the ones we're watching right now, but he is marked for service in the king's Norite someday. And when it comes to protecting his cousin, Tetsuya is nothing if not both extremely intelligent and brutally effective. He is a shy and quiet person, but cross him and you'll see a whole different side of him."

"Well," Shunsui said regretfully, "we are certainly capable of incapacitating him, if it becomes necessary."

"I have to say I don't feel good at all about suspecting and maybe harming the very people who fought so hard to protect Soul Society and the king," Ukitake said uncomfortably.

"I understand," said Shunsui, "but the reason that the royal guard is taking this action is because...we would have felt the same a few years back if someone had been suspecting our very trustworthy colleague, Aizen Sousuke."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I've brought you some fresh tea, Byakuya-sama," Kuchiki Torio said, placing the tea tray on a small end table beside the small sofa the Kuchiki heir occupied.

Byakuya's dark, brooding eyes remained fastened on the translucent chamber set close by where he rested, even as he answered.

"Thank you, Torio."

The attendant paused, searching for something to say, but found himself stymied at the clan leader's fixation on the Shiba heir's unconscious form. After several long moments of intense silence, he sighed softly and collected his cousin's breakfast tray.

"Your appetite is better today. That's good," he said, trying to continue to sound cheerful, "The weather is good. Would you like to walk in the gardens? Our clan healer said that walking and fresh air would be..."

"No, thank you," Byakuya said quietly, "Perhaps later."

"Of course, sir," Torio sighed, turning out into the hallway.

Byakuya waited, sipping at his tea silently, until he was sure he was alone. Then, he left the sofa and approached the containment unit that monitored and controlled Ichigo's healing.

_It looks like the glass case that held Snow White, _he mused, _but for the more rounded shape and the fact that it is heavily reinforced reiatsu and not glass. Made to bear the extremes of your power when it goes awry. But does it protect you or does it feel like a prison?_

_Why won't you open your eyes, Ichigo?_

_What happened in the throne room?_

_What happened to take you away from the people who care about you?_

_The people who love you?_

_Always before, even death couldn't keep you away. This isn't death, but it isn't life either. And I know you are strong enough. I don't like the way things are changing here. There is mistrust, even in the eyes of my own friends and I am afraid of what will happen when the military compound and prisons are rebuilt. While they have no choice but to keep their headquarters here, I can, to some extent, anticipate them. But when they leave, I will be made blind to their movements. Then, do I trust these people who have always fought side-by-side with me? Or do I take a darker path and conceal myself from them? The king said that I must be careful who I trust. But there are dangers in trusting anyone. You cannot hear me. Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi are working with Soutaichou and could betray anything I tell them. And to include Tetsuya, Rukia and Renji, whom I trust without hesitation, would endanger them greatly. But there is another to consider...the developing king. Above all else, he must be protected._

_But how can I protect him when I am powerless?_

_The only true weapon or defense I have is my silence. And I think that the only one I can break that silence for is you, Ichigo._

_Please._

_Please open your eyes._

_Without you, I am defenseless._

_Please wake up, Ichigo!_

"Nii-sama?" Rukia's voice called softly from the garden doorway.

Out of the corner of an eye, the clan leader spotted his sister and Tetsuya standing just outside and watching him with worried eyes.

"Come in," he invited them, his eyes never leaving the Shiba heir, even as he spoke to them, "Tell me, how is Renji?"

"He's much better," Rukia answered, managing a smile, "He's even beginning to train again. He's out there with Grimmjow every day, working on building his strength."

She giggled softly.

"They fight like cats and dogs, but it's good to see him feeling well enough to be that way."

"I'm glad," Byakuya said softly, "That is encouraging."

"How is Ichigo?" Tetsuya asked, taking a cautious step forward.

"His condition hasn't changed," Byakuya reported solemnly, "His body has recovered and the healers cannot sense anything inhibiting him, but they cannot wake him. Still, you are his closest friend, Rukia. I think if anyone can reach him, you can. Will you try?"

He moved back a step, opening the way for her as Rukia exchanged wary glances with Tetsuya, then moved forward. She caught her breath as Byakuya's hand touched the containment unit and the top of the chamber slowly opened.

"Should we do that?" she asked urgently, "He...!"

"I told you. His physical condition is fine. That is not why he is being monitored this way. It is just that he is unresponsive and has had a number power flares. I will enclose him again when you have made your attempt to rouse him."

Rukia considered his words silently, then nodded and stepped closer, reaching out to touch Ichigo's relaxed sleeping face with cautious fingertips.

"Ichigo?" she called uncertainly, "Ichigo, wake up!"

She took an unsteady breath and patted his face gently, then more urgently.

"Ichigo, come on! We really need you to wake up. You're worrying everyone...Renji, Nii-sama, Tetsuya and me. Why won't you wake up, Ichigo? What happened to you?"

Tetsuya and Byakuya watched with saddened eyes as the young woman's pleas continued, but the Shiba heir remained silent and still. After several minutes, Byakuya laid a hand on her shoulder and Rukia went quiet, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama," she said penitently.

"It's all right," Byakuya assured her, "We will continue to try each day."

Tetsuya held his silence until Rukia had exited the room, but as soon as they were alone abandoned the pretense of calm.

"Byakuya-sama, I don't know how many more days we are going to have to try to wake him."

"You have learned something?"

"It's not much," Tetsuya confessed, "But I was able to learn that the plan is to move Shiba Ichigo to the new infirmary as soon as it is finished."

"That makes sense, does it not?" Byakuya said quietly.

"That is not the problem," Tetsuya went on, "They are going to place him under high security and only people with high clearances will be able to see him."

"I have a high clearance."

"They are planning to temporarily suspend your privileges while they finish the investigation of what happened in the throne room at the palace. Those others with clearance to see him are only family and the remaining taichous, most of whom are unconscious. You know what they are doing. They are trying to strictly control who is able to see him."

Byakuya paused for several minutes, considering the news and thinking.

"We are on good terms with Ichigo's family," he concluded finally, "I think it will be all right."

"But don't you understand?" Tetsuya pleaded, "It is as much as an admission that the Gotei 13 is suspicious of you! You who gave far more than any of them to defend the king? They suspect you?"

"The king is missing, Tetsuya," Byakuya said bracingly, "and the prism as well. They have to suspect _anyone_ who was with him near the end of the battle. And remember that Ywach's power may have disappeared, but we cannot be sure of his fate. They are doing what they have to do. We must not take any rash action that will give them more reason to suspect us."

"But it's wrong!" Tetsuya persisted, his hands clenching tightly, "You and Ichigo-san would _never_ betray us!"

"Even if we were subject to such things as Aizen Sousuke's hypnosis?" Byakuya reminded him in a firm, but still affectionate voice, "Tetsuya, we cannot fight them on this. We must continue to cooperate. But...I am depending on you to give me warning if they plan any more drastic action. They are keeping me carefully in the dark."

"What do you mean?"

"Even powerless, I should have been cleared to attend taichou's meetings and to conduct office business, but Kotetsu Isane has not issued a clearance for me to return to any level of duty. And you said that you had spotted several members of the Onmitsukido on the grounds at night."

"Then why not move ourselves to one of our private retreats?" Tetsuya suggested, "They aren't as well known as Kuchiki Manor and I could make sure we are not seen leaving."

Byakuya shook his head firmly.

"As soon as it was discovered we were gone, the Gotei 13 would issue warrants to have us all arrested. You need to understand the delicate balances in this situation, Tetsuya. I will need all of your talents focused on protecting us as I guide us through this."

"But what if things get worse?" Tetsuya reasoned, "What if they openly accuse you?"

"They will avoid that unless it becomes necessary. That is why we must obey quietly and show no sign of resistance. But I certainly expect you will watch them closely and report their movements to me. We are balanced on the edge of a knife. Any slip will cause everything to come apart. Be watchful. Be wary. But above all, be patient, Tetsuya. It will only take one small thing to send this situation into utter chaos."

"I will do as you say, of course," Tetsuya promised, lowering his eyes.

"Thank you, watashi no itoko."

The two stood silently for several minutes, observing the gentle rise and fall of the unconscious Shiba heir's breathing.

"What is Aizen Sousuke's status?"

"He has fully recovered," Tetsuya reported, "I have placed a heavy seal on his reiatsu and he is in strong bindings with a barrier around him. He is secured."

"Hmmm."

"He continues to ask when he will be released and I give him only the answer I have given him all along. Still, I think he knows he will probably be returned to the prison as soon as Muken is restored."

"Likely."

"And he will try to escape rather than face it again. I don't want him to escape, but I understand his frustration. He was promised freedom and he is losing faith that the Gotei 13 will deliver on that promise. The more he remains imprisoned, the less reason he has to trust they will ever free him. It becomes dangerous."

"Well," Byakuya said, raising an eye to meet Tetsuya's, "that is why I have entrusted his confinement to you. You are more than capable, just...be careful that your feelings of distaste about what the Gotei 13 is doing do not lead you into a moment of recklessness. He is a terribly dangerous man, Tetsuya."

"I know."

"Good. Then, please don't let me keep you from your duties. Return at dinnertime and we can talk more."

"Yes, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, bowing respectfully, then flash stepping away.

As he disappeared out the door, another large, dark shape appeared in the garden doorway. Byakuya turned his head and met the man's eyes solemnly.

"I heard you wanted to see me," the man said in greeting.

"Yes, Shiba Isshin," Byakuya answered, "I need to speak with you about your son."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you for coming to visit me again, Tetsuya," Aizen Sousuke said pleasantly, watching as the noble quietly tested the barrier around the room, then moved on to examine the bindings on his body and the seal on his power, "I was feeling rather lonely."

"You are certainly less so than you were in Muken, are you not?" Tetsuya inquired, "I have made sure that your conditions here are comfortable while we wait for word on your release."

Tetsuya returned his attention to the bindings while Aizen watched him curiously.

"You really believe that they will keep their promise and free me? Are you that naive, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya turned his head and met Aizen's eyes squarely.

"I think they are just making sure that you actually kept up your end of the bargain. You understand, the king has disappeared."

"And is that my fault?" Aizen countered.

"I don't know. Is it?" Tetsuya asked pointedly, "You see, it is impossible to know if what we see is what is real right now. Until we know the king's fate, we are, all of us who were in the palace, under a measure of suspicion. It shouldn't be cause for alarm."

"Is that so?" Aizen mused, "Tetsuya, you were a prisoner once. I know you remember why you were imprisoned. The powers that be aren't always pure in their motives, are they?"

"You would know that better than most," Tetsuya replied, an edge of sarcasm in his voice, "Once you were entrusted, as they are, with the safety and well being of Soul Society and the king. We all know how your story ended. Your betrayal is partly to blame for your continued incarceration in that it eroded their confidence in the bonds they share."

"It will force them to be stronger," Aizen explained, "It has already made them stronger."

"But it has broken down the trust that would have seen you freed by now and has made us all look upon each other with more wary eyes."

"That is as it should be," Aizen said softly.

"Even though it may cost you your freedom for good?"

"I accept the reality of it, but that doesn't mean I will not act to free myself if the chance arises. They made an agreement with me. If I escape, I will not really be escaping, Tetsuya. It will only be collecting on what I am owed."

"That is why I am going to make sure to give you no openings," Tetsuya said grimly, rising and turning away.

"Let me ask you something," Aizen said, stopping the young man, still facing away from him, "You and I both know that the king's prism is attuned to the king's reiatsu. If the king is missing, then it should be easy to use the prism to find the king. Does this mean that the prism is also missing, Tetsuya?"

A look of understanding rose on Aizen's handsome features as Tetsuya's head turned and their eyes met for a moment.

"Ah," Aizen breathed, "I see. Then, you know it isn't just me they will eventually imprison. That has you worried, doesn't it?"

Tetsuya remained frozen for a moment, the words echoing in his mind loudly. Then he turned his head away again and left without answering.

Behind him, Aizen relaxed in his bonds, a slow smile spreading across his face.


	4. Holding Tight

**Chapter 4: Holding Tight**

**Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing! Special thanks to reviewers Parnita (Well, thanks! And here's more for you!), BleachLover (Sorry about the wait. More will be along soon.), Aizenfan6969 (Ichigo will wake up soon, but first...well, I'll let you read!), Winterheart2000 (I'm so glad you like it. I will have more for you soon!), Tomyallen (This one will take some interesting turns, that's for sure!), Picklez80 (You want suspense? I can do that!), Kittykins (Not much longer!), rosarioblack (Okay! Now that I'm back in action, updates should be more frequent on this one.), AsorenRM (LOL, not much longer!), dramamelon (Oh, you will like the twists and turns!), Sachiko Heiwajima (Byakuya will have a lot to explain and if you like that blush on Tetsuya, just wait!), Periwinkle (Love you back!), and Willow (I will be sure to manage the pace carefully. Good things can't be rushed, right?) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky) **

"You looked pretty good out there today," Grimmjow said approvingly, stripping off his clothing and wading out into the heated bathing pool, where he claimed a place underneath one of the tall stone waterfalls and paused to examine a few new bruises on his slim, pale body, "You actually left some respectable marks on me."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?" Renji said irascibly, "I should be leaving you in a puddle of blood on the ground. I was pathetic. I'll do better tomorrow."

"Whatever," Grimmjow yawned sleepily, sliding a soapy hand down over his broad chest and soft belly, then lathering his ample privates, "You're making progress...good, considering the mess you were when we brought you back. Good fighting at the palace, by the way. You should give yourself some credit."

"I didn't stop that bastard from hurting Taichou."

"Who could?" Grimmjow sighed, shrugging, "We all just put ourselves out there and did what we were able to. We weren't the strongest, but we weren't exactly fodder either. We made a difference."

"I didn't know that mattered to hollows," Renji said, looking down at his tattooed torso and blushing slightly as he realized Grimmjow was observing him out of the corner of an ice blue eye and washing his nether region more slowly, "I thought you guys were more about scaling the hierarchy, survival of the fittest, shit like that."

"Things change," the Espada said off-handedly, "When the quincies came and started trashing us and using us as their fodder, we learned a few hard lessons. Things are different now."

"Yeah, you seem pretty different," Renji observed, the flush on his tanned skin increasing as Grimmjow turned, revealing his wet, round bottom, "You're not trying to really kill me, for one thing."

"No," Grimmjow agreed, "You're right about that."

"You've been real helpful with my training too."

"It's hard to find anyone around here to train with who probably isn't tempted to kill me," the Espada chuckled, "I'm still a freaking hollow, after all."

"Yeah, well, I guess this has made some of us think differently about what a hollow actually is. The ones of you with your minds recovered proved to be crucial in the war. I, for one, am not going to forget that."

"Good. You shouldn't," the hollow laughed, tilting his head slightly to rinse the soap out of it, "Hey, Red, my arm's killing me from earlier. You mind giving me a hand with my back?"

"Wh-what?" Renji asked, giving him a surprise look, "No way! What are you...?"

"Eh, loosen up, will you?" the Espada complained, flinching as he reached around his body to complete the task, "I'm not hitting on you. I'm hurting, see? It's hard to rotate my arm enough to..."

"Fine," Renji sighed, scowling and moving closer to the smiling hollow, "I guess you did drag my ass out of the fire, here and there. I don't mind so much helping you out. But don't get any ideas!"

"Ideas? What kinda ideas?" the hollow asked, groaning delightedly and leaning into the redhead's hands as Renji lathered and scrubbed his back, "Damn, that feels good!"

"What do you mean, what kind of ideas?" Renji complained, "I think you just want me touching you, you pervert!"

Grimmjow turned suddenly and curled an arm around the surprised shinigami, making him stiffen and glare.

"HEY!"

"Shh, don't get pissed, Red," Grimmjow chided him, glaring meaningfully into his eyes, "Or maybe you should. I really like it when you glare at me like that."

"What?! What are you...?"

Renji's words were stopped by a powerful, melting kiss that weakened his knees and left his heart pounding almost painfully.

"H-holy hell!" he panted softly, trying to catch his breath.

"There," the hollow said, smirking, "That time, I was trying to seduce you."

Renji stood still, feeling colliding urges to yell at Grimmjow and to return his kiss with equal fury.

"What's the matter, Red?" Grimmjow said, his eyes narrowing and his tone becoming sly, "Can't decide what you wanna do to me?"

He nuzzled closer, sliding a hand down between them and making sweat break out on the redhead's forehead as he caressed what he found just beneath the water's surface.

"Well, it looks like one part of you knows what it wants to do!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure this was the right thing for you to do?" Isshin asked, watching as Byakuya bent and kissed Ichigo gently on the mouth, then straightened and set the lid of the containment chamber back in place.

"It is the only thing to do," Byakuya said calmly, "After all, as you have confirmed, Ichigo's reiatsu is within my body. The child I am carrying is his. I wouldn't dishonor either of our clans by having our child out of wedlock. And our elders are likely to be forgiving, considering our circumstances. I appreciate you performing the ceremony on such short notice, but I have it from a trustworthy source that Soutaichou is about to order Ichigo taken from Kuchiki Manor and placed in the newly restored healing center."

"I think he's fine where he is," said Isshin, stealing a glance at his comatose son, "Given you're having his kid, I think he'd want to be here with you. Thank you, Byakuya. I'm glad you told me about the two of you."

Byakuya forced down the thin shaft of guilt that gripped him for a moment and nodded briefly.

"Thank you for your assistance, Shiba Isshin."

He watched as Isshin left the room, then quietly moved to close the interior doors, then the patio doors. He walked back to the containment unit and laid a hand on top, gazing down at Ichigo with saddened eyes.

"I don't know anymore if you will ever wake," he whispered, "And now, if you wake, you will have every reason to despise me. I can only say that I saw no other way, Ichigo. The king is vulnerable in this state and I am powerless to protect him. We need you, Ichigo. There is a reason that you were chosen for this service as I was. We need your strength for our protection. Please, Ichigo, wake up!"

Long moments passed and still the Shiba heir remained silent and still. Byakuya's eyes closed slowly in a haze of loneliness and silent agony, and he turned away for a moment. He reeled under the weight of the dark emotions that collided inside him, struggling to regain a feeling of some kind of balance.

_If his majesty did not think I was strong enough to serve this purpose, he would not have chosen me. And if Ichigo was not able to protect us, he would not have been chosen. I must not be afraid._

He felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and froze.

_Ichigo!_

_But, it is not really Ichigo, just the king's need for our joining...although, it has been some time..._

"Ichigo?" he whispered, hoping despite what he suspected.

The Shiba heir's strong arms wrapped around him from behind.

"It has been a while since you approached me. I would have thought the reiatsu placed by now. But...?"

_The reiatsu has been placed,_ the former king's voice whispered into the Kuchiki heir's confused mind, _What you must do is bond to maintain the balance of creative forces in your body. The forces that will form my new incarnation are wild and unpredictable. This bonding will stabilize and render them. Sit down._

Ichigo's arms released him and he walked to the bed and loosened his clothing, then knelt in the middle and waited. A few moments later, the bed moved and Ichigo's body settled in behind his. Byakuya suppressed a shiver as Ichigo's hands slowly undressed him, then the Shiba heir's naked form pressed up against his back.

"You said that the reiatsu was placed," Byakuya said anxiously.

_Yes. I do not need to penetrate you anymore. Ichigo's body will stabilize the reiatsu within you now. Be at ease, the more uncomfortable exchanges are over._

Byakuya said nothing in reply, but relaxed so that his back rested against Ichigo's chest. He couldn't hold back a sigh of relief as the warm reiatsu seeped into his body, chasing away the heavy feeling inside him as well as a measure of the anxiety. And as the infusion progressed, he felt his pleasure centers beginning to awaken. He shifted slightly, blushing at the fact, then froze as the king's voice sounded in his mind again.

_I have made you uncomfortable. I will relieve you of that when the infusion is done._

He didn't want to give thought to what that relief might entail, so he remained in the moment, looking down at Ichigo's hands as they moved over the pale, soft skin, feeding and balancing the forces working within him.

_You will need more and more frequent infusions of reiatsu_, the king explained, _It is good that you have secured access to Ichigo, although I know you feel reticence at your dishonesty with Shiba Isshin. Then again, you are also being dishonest with yourself._

"With...myself?" the noble queried.

He went breathless as Ichigo's hand captured his chin and coaxed him into a long, passionate kiss.

_You have feelings for Shiba Ichigo. It is not unexpected that you would. Your bond with Ichigo made the two of you good choices for this undertaking._

"But...Ichigo and I are just friends," Byakuya objected.

_Your confusion, too, is to be expected. It is unfortunate that Ichigo remains unconscious and cannot assist you in sorting through your thoughts. As an immortal, I lack the perspective for that._

"Will Ichigo ever wake?" Byakuya asked, an odd pain rising in his throat and belly as he spoke.

_That is not something I can foretell. Many things will affect this. You must try to be patient._

"Of course."

He felt Ichigo's possessed eyes gazing at his profile.

_I know waiting is difficult._

"Yes. But I will be patient."

_Your emotions are settling. That is good. You must remain strong while you wait for Ichigo to awaken, and as the time draws closer for my reincarnation, you must be even more vigilant. But I would not have asked this of you if I did not believe in you. You truly are the greatest of my servants...you and Ichigo. I am grateful._

Byakuya remained perfectly still as Ichigo's hand captured his chin again and he was drawn into a longer, more passionate kiss.

"Your majesty..."

_I am sorry. I tread upon the lines of inappropriateness, but I have been affected while being in Ichigo's body. My impulses are harder to control._

"I understand."

_I do not want to make you uncomfortable with me. I actually tried to keep more distance by not speaking to you during our mating, but I was causing you pain when I tried to distance myself._

"I am fine," Byakuya insisted.

_Your heart is tasked because you are confused about your feelings for Ichigo. You believe that you only feel something for him because I have used you this way, but you must understand that I would not interfere with your choices in that manner._

"Then, you are saying..."

_Your emotions regarding Shiba Ichigo have always been passionate, even when you considered him an enemy. You have grown closer as allies and you have become friends. But your heart has progressed even further._

"What about Ichigo?" Byakuya queried, "Can you see into his mind? Is he also...?"

_I cannot interfere with Ichigo's choices, so I cannot answer your question. Only Ichigo can answer that question._

"Of course."

The king's voice faded out of Byakuya's mind for a time, and he rested in Ichigo's strong arms, enjoying the relief that the infusion of the Shiba heir's reiatsu brought. Within minutes, he drifted off into a deep, restorative sleep, not waking even when the infusion was finished Ichigo's possessed form fed him a gentle parting kiss.

_Thank you, Byakuya. You ease the burden of emotion that reaches even me as we work together to bring about my successor. I only hope that Ichigo wakes soon and offers you relief from your confusion._

_Rest assured, your emotions are not yielded in vain._

Byakuya remained blissfully unaware as Ichigo's body returned to its chamber and evening deepened into night. He only finally came awake as footsteps sounded outside his door and Tetsuya's voice rose up in anger.

"You cannot simply intrude on the property of the noble families!" he objected, "Byakuya-sama is sleeping and cannot be disturbed. You must leave at once and schedule your visit in the appropriate manner, not bursting in past midnight and making demands!"

"Take it easy now," Kyouraku's soothing voice intoned, "We wouldn't have intruded into this section of the manor, but we were given orders by the Royal Guard to remove Shiba Ichigo to the healing center, now that it's been rebuilt, where we'll continue to see to his healing."

"But we were given no notice of this, none at all!" Tetsuya snapped scathingly, "Royal Guard or not, you have no right to interfere with our royal privilege."

"But I am afraid that the Royal Guard does," Ukitake countered calmly, "A direct order from that unit is not something we can ignore. You must allow us to take Shiba Ichigo with us."

"There is no way you are setting foot beyond those doors!" Tetsuya insisted, placing a hand on his weapon.

"Hey, take it down a notch, okay?" Urahara Kisuke said, appearing beside Tetsuya and laying a bracing hand on the noble's, "We're not your enemies, Tetsuya-san. We're just obeying orders. Come on, now. We don't want you to get hurt. We don't want to hurt anyone. Just let us through to pick up Ichigo and we will leave you and Byakuya to sleep and not bother you anymore."

"My apologies," Byakuya said, stepping out onto the walkway with his sword drawn, "but no one is moving Ichigo anywhere."

"Byakuya!" Ukitake exclaimed his face paling.

"Hey now, Kuchiki taichou," Kyouraku said soothingly, "You know better than to draw a weapon on your superior officer."

"When _anyone _tries to interfere with a member of my clan, I will both draw and use my weapon to defend them," Byakuya answered icily.

"Your family?" Ukitake queried, "But we are only here for Shiba Ichigo. We weren't interfering with anyone from your clan."

"And did you not think you should at least share your plans with Ichigo's next of kin before taking him?"

"Shiba Isshin?" Kyouraku mused.

"No," Byakuya replied, earning curious stares from everyone present, "_I_ am Shiba Ichigo's _husband_."

"You?" Kyouraku mused, rubbing his beard thoughtfully, "I didn't see that one coming."

"You married Shiba Ichigo?" Ukitake queried, "But how is that possible when Ichigo has been unconscious since he destroyed Ywach?"

"It does sound kinda fishy," Urahara agreed, "You want to tell me how you managed it?"

Byakuya took a steadying breath.

Shiba Isshin came to the manor earlier today...as your second division spies should have told you," Byakuya said coldly, "He confirmed that I am carrying Ichigo's child and he granted us the right to be married as he holds his son's proxy for all actions if Ichigo is incapacitated. We are legally wed, and as such, it is my decision that it is best for my husband to remain here at Kuchiki Manor for his treatment. Our healers are among the best in the Seireitei, but you know that."

"Yeah, we do," Shunsui confirmed, "All right. The guys upstairs aren't going to like it, but I guess there's nothing we can do. But you understand that because of the Royal Guard's interest in Ichigo, we will need to have access to him."

"I understand," Byakuya said, sliding his weapon back into its sheath, "And as long as you do not attempt to take him from the manor, I will permit upper officers to visit."

"Whew! Talk about turning the tables," Shunsui mused, smirking, "I'm impressed, Kuchiki taichou. Just...be careful. We lost a lot of good people in the war. We don't want to lose you in the aftermath."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tetsuya asked angrily, "Are you threatening our leader?"

"No," Byakuya said quietly, "he was only warning me to be careful. Kyouraku Soutaichou is not our enemy, Tetsuya. I do believe he was trying to help."

"May we see Ichigo?" Shunsui asked calmly.

"Of course," Byakuya answered, nodding briefly, "Come in. Just be aware that I have taken steps so that if you attempt to move him from this room, he will only be returned here."

"Pretty crafty," Kisuke said appreciatively.

"I am glad you approve," Byakuya said sedately.

Tetsuya waited until the others had filed into Byakuya's bedroom, then he flash stepped back to where Aizen Sousuke remained shackled. He checked the defenses around the room carefully, then glanced at the prisoner appraisingly.

"You seem agitated," Aizen observed, "Is something wrong, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya ignored the question completely.

"Aizen Sousuke," he said, frowning, "How long has it been since you were able to stretch your legs?"

Aizen's lips curved upward.

"Too long," he answered.

"Come then," the noble said, snapping an additional silver band on his wrist and shattering the kido bonds that held him, "Just be aware that if you make any attempt to harm anyone or to escape, you will be instantly transported back here and restrained."

"I understand."

He rose onto unsteady legs and made a sound of surprise as Tetsuya reached out to help him maintain his balance.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome," Tetsuya responded, glancing at Byakuya's closed garden doors, "Come, the restored section of the gardens is this way."


End file.
